Chomskyan

adjective

Chom·skyan

variants or less commonly Chomskian

ˈchäm(p)skēən

-ȯm-,

-kyən

: of, relating to, based on, or being the linguistic theories of Noam Chomsky

Word History

Etymology

Avram Noam Chomsky, born 1928 American linguist + English -an

Browse Nearby Words

chomper

Chomsky

Chomskyan

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Chomsky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chomsky. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Biographical Definition

Chomsky

biographical name

Chom·sky ˈchäm(p)-skē

(Avram) Noam 1928– American linguist

Chomskyan adjective

or less commonly Chomskian

ˈchäm(p)-skē-ən

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

Chomskyan

adjective

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Biographical Definition

biographical name

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

perfunctory

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes